DD doing a foundation course living at home in London - allowance?

[Bouledeneige]

My DD18 is starting a foundation course in September. She will be living at home in London with no student loan (she will for university proper the year after) and unusually we have to pay fees (splitting with XH).

I will be giving her an allowance but I also want her to get a part time job to help support herself. I plan to pay for a £100 monthly travelcard to cover all her travel as it will be expensive getting to and from college and its pretty full on.

What would be a reasonable amount to give her whilst still incentivising her to work? She will obviously get all her board and lodging free and she gets her mobile phone paid by her Dad. I dont have a lot to spare but can make some cut backs.

In 6th form I gave her £85 per month which she supplemented with babysitting and some waitressing. She didnt have school lunches.

What expenses will she have? And is the allowance expected to cover clothes?
I think my DS got, in the same situation, about 100 pm; I didn't expect him to eat out every day, I think he took a sandwich for lunch. He paid for art materials out of that, but I bought him clothes when necessary. However he is quite low maintenance, 1 pair of trainers would last him best part of a year, he had 1 jacket, a few pairs of jeans and Primark t-shirts. He didn't really go out much, but if he wanted to go to the cinema or something, I paid if he couldn't. But he did help out at home, cooking family meal sometimes, being responsible for younger brother if I was out. He didn't do paid work, and the course was quite demanding, but I do know that some people on his course were self-financing.
I think essential clothing and basic toiletries should probably be covered by you if possible, but extras by DD.

Thanks Delphinium. Thats helpful. She can take sandwiches but she has quite a lot of expectations for social life, clubbing, clothes etc. I tend to buy her shoes and essentials but she tops up on the rest. She has a very large family so does well with money and vouchers at xmas and birthdays.

But i did look at the course and it did look pretty intensive - more than A levels so maybe its just babysitting and top ups that she can earn...

Is this an art foundation course?

It is but its not a free one.

In the same situation my DD got transport, free use of anything in the kitchen to make lunch, car, phone, gym and 20 pounds a week. She has a job as well so a pretty nice lifestyle.

had a job

Thanks Tinkly that's very helpful. I was thinking transport, phone, food free plus £100 per month. So about the same.

Did you also include major clothing items?

And how many hours did she work a week out of interest as the course seems quite full on?

Boule I probably bought her winter boots and that sort of thing but didn't fund her primark/charity shop addiction.

Her course was 9-4 all day every day so she got most of it done then. She worked a night or two taking photographs in a nightclub on commission; not lots of hours but it messed with her sleep patterns a bit.

Can I just say Boule, big negative that we experienced was that all DD's nice ambitious mates went off to Uni and she got in with a very different sort of crowd which impacted negatively in ways that have lasted.

Given the choice again I would have sent her off to do foundation at uni.

Thanks Tinkly and Delphinium. We are where we are. She's very busy socially at the moment - out nearly every night. She's not bad in the drink and drugs front though but I do want her to show a bit of application both to the course and working. She's very laid back (nice phrase for lazy)....

Following with interest as my dd will be in a similar situation except she is 16, its outside London and is a 3 year Level 6 diploma. We will have to pay some fees but its means tested. Student loans are not available.

She has been offered a job on Saturday mornings but the cost of travelling there means she won't take home much. Her course is 9am-6pm so not much leeway for other part time work.

She currently gets £35 per month pocket money.

My final view is to pay for travel via a student oyster (about £100 per month) and £100 a month allowance. Given what she likes doing she will have to work to fund it - she fancies working in a club or bar or restaurant - being busy rather than hanging around in a shop. Shes done events waitressing before. I'm urging her to think about how it fits round college and getting home late at night on her own.